Hook and eye.



- No. 690,528. Patented Jan. 7, I902.

I A. K. PHILLIPS.

HOOK AND EYE.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1901.)

(in Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

AUGUSTUS K. PHILLIPS, OF ST. LQUIS, MISSOURI.

HOOK ANB EYE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 690,528, dated January 7, 1902. Application filed March 29, 1901. Serial No. 53,420. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS K. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hooks and Eyes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved hook and eye. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view showing the hook and eye coupled together. Fig. at is an end elevational view. Fig. 5 shows the parts in position to make ready to be coupled. Fig. 6 is an end elevational view in the position shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevational view showing the position of the parts in readiness to be coupled by fulcrum action. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the parts in their coupled position. Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the parts in a position in readiness to be uncoupled. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a modified form of hook, and Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a modified form of hook.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in hooks and eyes, the object being to construct an efficient device of the character described in a simple and cheap manner.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction, arrangement,and combination of the parts, all as will hereinafter he described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

The class of hooks and eyes to which this invention relates is one wherein the two portions designated as the hook and the eye, respectively, are attached to the edges of garments for the purpose of securing said edges together, said hooks and eyes being susceptible of ready engagement and disengagement from each other.

My invention while designated as a hook and eye is capable of being used as a glovefastener, Suspender-buckle, corset-clasp, or a like device, where two parts are to be coupled and uncoupled, such change in the use of the application of my invention not affect their respective parts. In devices of this char-i acter when they are coupled together tension is usually relied upon to guard against accidental uncoupling or disengagement, and where this tension becomes relaxed hooks and eyes as ordinarily constructed, the throat of the hook being open, are liable to become uncoupled, whereby they no longer serve the purpose for which they are intended.

I am aware that various constructions involving peculiarities in shape both with respect to the hook and the eye have been made with a view to preventing accidental disengagement. One instance may be recited in the formation in the threat in the hook ofa springlike projection for engaging the eye and confining it within the hook, subject to release by pressure manually applied in a reverse direction. In this type of hook the hook part or bill must have a length insuring the overhanging ot the hook with respect to the spring-likeprojection. It will be noted in this connection and that of the com mon hook and eye also in the op eration of hooking the eye must pass over the long bill or nose of the hook to reach its seat within and against the bend or head of said.

hook. This unavoidable pass of the parts to effect the hooking is objectionable not only as an operation requiring extra effort, but there is a resulting loosening of the tension between the parts after the eye has engaged the hook,and in becoming seated in its proper place for a completed hooked connection. In my invention when the two parts are suitably engaged preparatory to the operation of actual hooking by reason of their novel forms, respectively and relatively, they are so set that the action of hooking-requires a rotary movement to be given to and from the outer end of either the hook or the eye, which rotary movementis described from the f ulcrumpoint found between them in this preparatory relation, by which in the action of hooking there is no passing of the parts in the sense referred to with respect to the other forms of hooks and eyes, but a movement central and pivotal at their place of juncture leading upon the aforesaid movement being imparted to immediately seat the eye within the hook in the proper place and to the parts being completely hooked together.

As shown in the drawings,the eye A is preferably triangular in shape, having its front portion in the form of a connecting-bar bent upwardly and outwardly. The terminals of the side bars of the eye are suitably formed for attaching the eye to garments, 850., in the usual way.

The hook as an entirety may or may not be formed with abill portion; but it is important that the side members of the hook or head thereof, as it is sometimes termed, shall be spread apart or split, the widest portion being located at the reflex bonds of the hook. The rear terminals of the shank are formed similarto those of the eye for attaching the hook to the garment, &o.

The operation of connecting the two parts is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, wherein itwill be seen that the hook, which we will assume is on a horizontal plane, freely receives the eye for a preparatory relation, the eye being introduced while in or near a vertical position to a point where the splayed head engages the side bars of the eye and prevents further movement of said eye. When the eye reaches the position shown in Fig. 5, the outer end of the eyeis turned downwardly until the crossbar (designated at a) engages the under face of the nose of the hook and serves asa fulcrum, the side bars of the eye by continued downward pressure springing over the widest part of the splayed head, which widest portion is located at the reflex bends of the hook. The engaged position of the parts is shown in Fig. 3,and,as is true with respect to ordinary hooks and eyes, as long as the parts are in tension there is no liability of accidental disengagement. However, as soon as the tension is removed and the parts made to approach each other, as shown in Fig. 8, the eye is prevented from rising over the head at the reflex bonds on account of the enlargement of the head, and consequently is forced under the head, as shown in full lines in Fig. 8. A continued inward pressure upon the parts causes the cross-bar to ride up the jog or bond 1) in the shank of the hook, forcing the eye, together with the converging side bars of the eye, which engage the under face of the hook, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, wherein the parts are more securely locked together, the eye occupying a position almost diametrically opposite its entering position. When it is desired to disengage the eye from the hook, assuming that the parts occupy the locked position shown in Fig. 3, it is necessary to elevate the outer end of the eye, as shown in Fig. 9, until the cross-bar a, engages with the bottom bend of the hook, serving as a fulcrum to enable the side walls of the eye to spring past the enlarged portion of the head.

When the eye has been sprung over the 6 5 widest portion of the reflex bonds, it praoti cally occupies a position perpendicular to the plane of the hook and may then be disengaged from said hook. The object of the bend b in the shank of the hook is to not only force the eye to occupy a position about perpendicular to the plane of the hook in the act of entering or disengaging the eye from the hook, but also to force the eye when the parts are locked to become more securely locked by a forced tipping action given to the eye or to the hook in the event of inward pressure being exerted upon the parts. In Fig. 101 have shown the hook portion provided with an elongated nose and a straight shank, while in Fig. 11 the nose of the hook, formed by a distinct bend, is omitted. The curves in the splayed heads of the hooks shown in Figs. 10 and 11 are slightly dilferent from those illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9, which locates the widest portion of the reflex bends at a slightly-different point; but the operation of the parts is in all respects the same as that heretofore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a hook having a splayed head, the widest portion thereof being located at the reflex bonds of the hook, and an eye which is designed to be sprung over said widest portion, said eye being fulcrumed 0n the hook in this springing action when moving in either direction; substantially as described.

2. Thecombination with a hook having a splayed head, the'widest portion thereof being located at the reflex bendsof the hook, and an eye whose connecting cross piece serves as a fulcrum to engage the top and bottom faces of the hook upon the introduction and removal of the eye to and from the hook, whereby said eye may be sprung over the widest portion of the hook in the coupling and uncoupling action; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a hook having a bend in its shank and a splayed head whose nose projects over said bend, the widest portion thereof being located at the reflex bonds of the hook, and an eye whose connecting cross-piece serves as a fulcrum to engage the top and bottom faces of the hook, whereby said eye is used as a lever and sprung over the widest portion of the hook in the coupling and uncoupling action; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my too signature, in the presence of two witnesses,

Witnesses:

RALPH KALISH, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

